Nainital – The Lake District Of India

Nainital is a popular lake district and exotic hill station in state Uttarakhand of India. Nainital is a famous tourist destination covered with deodar & pine trees making it honeymooners paradise. With pleasant climate, chiller winds & exotic scenic views makes it among the top tourist places visited in India throughout the year.

Nainital over time has become synonymous with lights and noise. A crowded place, the cheers, the dances, the selfie sticks, photo sessions, the ever increasing food stalls. Even branded showrooms have cropped up. Its proximity to Delhi has made it a celebrated weekend getaway.

Nainital has lost much of its tree line, wildlife, enchanting valleys, the serenity and it has been replaced by over-construction, roads, and ever increasing hotels. Still there is something resilient about this old hill station, which continues to flourish in changing weather and changing times.

Why Visit Nainital?

Nainital still thinks local and acts local. This is the nicest thing about the town, its incestuous obsession with itself.

Nainital still has its own realities. The rest of the world is out there is where ordinary mortals live.

For many of us who have spent our early years in the hill station. Nainital is not a place on a map. It is not even a geographical location. Nainital exists continually for us wherever we go. It lives a part of our life here, wherever else in the world we might be. When we come back, our eyes are always scanning for any minute change, that is different from the Nainital in our head, and it always fall short.

The swamp of crowds, the newly place dustbins, our hangout point, the fallen killers bench. We often look out for the mad man who use to loiter around in our bell-shaped jeans. Once, the whole town was dotted with friends, friends of friends, acquaintances, relatives now I walk around just to get a glimpse of a familiar face.

Nainital is the mixture of calm and excitement, that adds a unique blend to the station. For many the call from the mountains is irresistible. There are a few hill stations which cater to the need of such wide variety of taste. The only thing you will carry from Nainital is the enthralling and mesmerizing memories & experiences.

“Famed for its spectacular beauty, sung in lore and legend. Nainital stands out for its ideal resort for all type of holiday makers the serious, the curious and the pleasure makers.”

Nestling snugly at an altitude of 1958m on the southern extremity of Lesser Himalayan Zone in Kumaon, Nainital was the beloved of the Britishers.

Once upon a time this place wasn’t meant for humans, it was only a pilgrim, natives use to come here only once a year to worship the presiding deity, Naina Devi.

Nainital was a well-kept secret until 1839 when P Barron stumbled across this gem and was too mesmerised by its beauty that he went on to write an article about it in Agra Akbar. Thus, Nainital was put on the tourist map by this adventurous Englishmen.

Soon the Britishers started flocking in, making their settlements here which continued to happen till the 1920s. The lower mallroad was used by the natives while the Upper Mallroad was reserved for Britishers.

Nainital has several schools, churches, hospitals which continue to exist as the heritage of British Raj. The Mythology has a special place for Nainital, which is also one of the 64 Shaktipheets.

Why Nainital is famous Hill Station of India?

Nainital lake city is one hill station which has adapted well to the requirements of the new generation of tourist.

Boating in Naini Lake (Tal) is most celebrated activities among the tourists. Naini Lake offers an exciting & everlasting memories to the tourists thats why also known as the ‘Queen of Lakes’. Thus with ‘hills’ in the backdrop and the enchanting lake the place offers a calm and imperturbable along with zealous and fervor laden experience for its visitors.

September to November according to us is the best time to visit Nainital. It’s comparatively less congested, and the weather is quite excellent. This hill station can otherwise be visited any time of the year when one is well equipped with proper clothing.

There are many places in Nainital where you can still witness the wilderness, and then there are places where you can see much of the crowd chilling out.

You may follow a trail in Sher ka danda and hike up to the Snow View top, through the alluring pine forest or you can simply take a trolley. It might be the wifi enabled restaurant, which serves delicious pastry, or the momo’s which have earned a reputation for themselves in lands far away. From the candles that come in all shapes and size, pine craft which is unique to the place, to many herbal products which are truly the gift of Himalayas. Nainital has managed to acquire glimpses of entire Kumaun to which it is the gateway to.

“As the sun goes down behind the mountains; one gets to witness this hill station turn into an enchanting, alluring fairyland. The lake reflecting the row lights dancing in the mysterious weaves a magical fantasy.”

It would be best recommended not to take your car along, especially in tourist season, that leads to traffic jams which were alien to the town few years back. Wander across the town rather aimlessly only to encounter beauty which in inherent to it.

Rather than looking for points and quickly ticking them off the list, one would well recommend taking the way-of-tea in Zen approach where you enjoy every sip of it without any haste, being wholly present at the moment. We would also request you to add at least one of Naini hike into your itinerary. Do take a selfie near the lake as its is a cliche.

Winter Carnival from 25 December to 31 December is an event in which famous Bollywood and Local artist shake a leg together. Kumaun Literary Fest attracts some of the major intellectuals around the country to talk and ponder about the issues of the region and the country.